The present invention relates to cancer surgery and more particularly to a computer guided system for ablative surgery with enhanced feedback.
There is reference in the prior art to the use of computer control systems for providing and/or enhancing cryosurgical techniques. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,672,963, issued to I. Barken, discloses an automated and integrated system including a cryosurgery device, an imaging probe and a computer system for use in performing internal surgery.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,647,868, issued to D. O. Chinn, discloses another cryosurgical integrated control and monitoring system.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,139,544, issued to P. W. Mikus et al, discloses a system for assisting surgeons in performing cryosurgery of the prostate by calculating optimal positions for cryoprobes and providing display based templates for overlay over an ultrasound image display, and displaying actual cryoprobe ultrasound images together with template images so that the surgeon may compare suggested and actual placement of the cryoprobes, and adjust placement accordingly.
The presently utilized CryoCare(trademark) Surgical System which is currently manufactured and marketed by Endocare, Inc., Irvine, Calif. utilizes cryoprobes to deliver cold temperatures to the targeted tissue and temperature probes (marketed under the trademark TempProbe(copyright)) to monitor temperatures in the surrounding tissue. The CryoCare(trademark) Surgical System presently requires a certain degree of skill for operation since the physician requires an understanding of the temperature mapping of the cryoprobes in order to operate them to deliver an effective treatment.
The present invention is a system for providing computer guided ablation of tissue of a patient. The system includes, in a broad aspect, an imaging device, an ablative surgical computer system, and a set of surgical devices. The imaging device receives imaging data from a treatment region of a patient, processes the imaging data and provides imaging output data and imaging signals. The imaging output data is available to an operator. The ablative surgical computer system includes a guidance module for processing the imaging signals and providing a treatment guidance plan to the operator; and, a treatment module for acquiring and processing surgical device output data, for optimally controlling treatment parameters and providing feedback information to the operator based on the treatment guidance plan. The set of surgical devices includes at least one ablative device for providing ablation of the treatment region based on the treatment parameters and operator input; and, at least one temperature sensing device for acquiring temperature data from the treatment region and providing a temperature sensing device output signal. The temperature sensing device output signal is a portion of the surgical device output data. The treatment guidance plan is utilized for placing the ablative device and the temperature sensing device into the treatment region.
The feedback described above provides enhanced automation and minimizes the potential for operator error resulting in an ineffective or unsuccessful treatment. This enhancement to the Cryocare(trademark) Surgical System, discussed above, will be marketed by the present assignee, Endocare, Inc., under the trademark AutoFreeze(trademark).